Russia resumes Su-24 flights in Far East - Air Force

MOSCOW, September 14 (RIA Novosti) - Russia's Air Force has resumed Su-24 tactical bomber flights in the country's Far East after a suspension following an August crash caused by a technical failure, an Air Force spokesman said Friday.

An Su-24 Fencer crashed August 23 about 115 kilometers (70 miles) southeast of the Khurba airfield, in the Khabarovsk Territory, but both pilots successfully ejected.

"After a brief suspension caused by a Su-24 crash in the Khabarovsk Territory, all flights of tactical bombers in the Far East have been resumed without restrictions," Alexander Drobyshevsky said.

The Su-24 is a two-seater, twin-engine strike aircraft similar to NATO's Tornado and Mirage 2000 planes.

The plane has been in service with the Russian Air Force since the mid-1970s, and in recent years Russia has gradually been phasing out the planes, which have a patchy safety record.

Last year, flights of Su-24s were suspended twice following three crashes in various regions of Russia. Two pilots were killed in a crash in western Russia in July 2006.